The present invention relates generally to roof-covering devices, and more particularly to a boot for covering and providing a water-tight seal around a vertical protrusion in a roof.
Polymer coated membranes are commonly used to cover roofs. Often, the membrane is custom designed for the particular roof on which it is used. The roof measurements are provided to the factory which creates a unitary membrane from separate pieces which have been heat welded together.
Although these roofs are generally flat, there are frequently items protruding from the surface of the roof, such as vents, ductwork, air conditioning units, and the like. The size and locations of these items must also be provided to the factory so that accommodations can be made for them in the membrane.
The present invention specifically relates to a boot for covering and sealing a vertical protrusion (e.g., pipe) extending from a roof to be sealed. More specifically, the present invention is comprised of a boot having a slit in the top portion of the boot allowing the boot to be easily adjusted to seal vertical protrusions of various sizes.
As discussed, when installing a roof membrane, it is desirable to provide a water-tight seal around protrusions in a roof. When installing a boot around a protruding pipe, generally three seals must be made to provide a water-tight seal around the pipe:
1.) a base portion of the boot should be sealed to a vertical portion of the boot (e.g. heat sealed);
2.) the base portion should be sealed to the roof or a roof membrane(e.g. heat sealed); and
3.) a top portion of the vertical portion of the boot should be sealed around the pipe to prevent water from entering any space between the boot and the pipe.
Currently this process of sealing a protruding pipe takes a relatively long time and oftentimes results in a poor seal. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a new method and apparatus for sealing vertical protrusions from a roof wherein predetermined portions of the boot are sealed together off-site resulting in a pipe boot having a slit in the top portion of the vertical portion of the boot allowing the boot of the present invention to be easily installed and adjusted to provide a tight seal for protruding pipes of various diameters.
The boot of the present invention:
1.) allows easier and more cost-effective installation;
2.) allows sealing of pipes of various diameters; and
3.) provides tight seals to pipes of various diameters.
In addition to the features mentioned above, objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent upon a reading of the following description.
The boot of the present invention is preferably comprised of: a vertical portion adapted to surround a predetermined portion of the pipe to be covered, the vertical portion having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top end has a top opening and wherein the bottom end has a bottom opening; a base portion, wherein the base portion is connected to a bottom edge of the vertical portion and wherein the vertical portion extends substantially in the vertical direction when the base portion resides on the roof. It is also preferred that the bottom opening of the boot be adapted to accept a pipe to be covered. In the preferred embodiment, the top end of the vertical portion has a slit, the slit running vertically down a predetermined distance of the vertical portion of the boot and wherein the slit allows the top opening of the vertical portion to be adjusted in size to fit around the pipe to be covered.
The boot of the present invention is preferably formed by: providing a first piece of material having a first side edge and a second side edge; forming a vertical portion having a bottom and top opening and a slit portion at a top end of the vertical portion, said vertical portion formed by sealing a bottom portion of the first side edge to a corresponding bottom portion of the second side edge; providing a base portion; and sealing a bottom edge of the vertical portion with the base portion so that the vertical portion is substantially vertical with respect to the base portion when the base is in the flat horizontal position.
The boot is then installed by: placing the bottom opening of the vertical portion over a protrusion to be covered; placing the base portion flat over the roof; pulling a top portion of a side edge of the vertical portion around the pipe so that the top opening of the vertical portion is adjusted to fit the pipe; and sealing the top opening of the vertical portion around the pipe.